Destination: Hirosaki Castle Chrysanthemum and Autumn Foliage Festival

The Hirosaki Castle Chrysanthemum and Autumn Foliage Festival is held at the Hirosaki Castle Botanical Garden in Hirosaki Park filled with beautiful green pines and autumn foliage. The highlights of the festival were definitely the colorful chrysanthemums.

Photo property of NewInNippon

These flowers were the size of dinner plates!

Photo property of NewInNippon

Photo property of NewInNippon

Another unique exhibit was the chrysanthemum dolls. The dolls were posed to reenact historical events that happened at Hirosaki. The faces were so lifelike!




Photo property of NewinNippon



Photo property of NewinNippon

Photo property of NewInNippon



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Yabusame Fall 2011

More Yabusame! This is my first time to visit the Towada Fall Yabusame festival. This festival differs from the spring yabusame event mainly because men also compete. In addition to the usually mounted archery, there were western style hurdle jumping competitions. Each event presented exciting photography opportunites and more than a few challenges! If you want to know more about the origins of Yabusame visit here.



Photo Property of NewinNippon




Photo Property of NewinNippon




Photo Property of NewinNippon




Photo Property of NewinNippon




Photo Property of NewinNippon




Photo Property of NewinNippon



Photo Property of NewinNippon



Photo Property of NewinNippon



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Breaking into Microstock Photography

I have played around with photography since my high school days. Even earlier than that I can remember being fascinated with the beautiful images I would see in books and magazine and I knew that I wanted to create those images. So when the time came to chose a field of study, Fine Arts just seems like the right fit. After college I spent several years as a graphic designer in an attempt to find a way to be creative and pay the bills at the same time. During this period, I realized how vital the perfect image is in order for an advertisement to successfully deliver it's message.

Through the years my passion for painting and drawing have waned, but photography always fascinates me. Maybe it's the instant gratification of seeing your perspective captured almost immediately on the digital display. For whatever reason, photography is the one art form that I consistently return to when I feel the need for self-expression. Luckily, I am married to a really talented photographer who is light-years beyond me. My husband has been patiently teaching me the "technical" side of photography that I have always avoided learning.

Now that I live in a small town in Japan, my employment opportunity are not so overwhelming, I have had the free time to explore photography in a way I never considered before. Photography has become an everyday thing. I find myself jotting down compositional ideas at all hours of the day.

I am in the middle of trying to break into miscrostock photography. So far, I have tried iStockPhoto, Shutterstock, and Dreamstime. iStockphoto and Shutterstock have both rejected my submissions, however Dreamstime did accept two of my seven photographs submitted. It appears that I have a LOT to learn about composition and technical requirements for microstock photography. But I am not discouraged - I will keep trying!

I have also tried to sell my photos on Etsy, but I don't think that my subject matter has really found its audience yet, so the jury is still out on the success of that venture.

So if you are trying to sell your photography, let me encourage you. Don't give up - even if you think you are the only person who "gets" your idea. I believe that eventually you will find that perfect buyer. Here is a link to a great success story that will keep you trying even when the rejections clutter your inbox.

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Free tickets to Japan!

If you have always wanted to visit Japan but haven't been able to save up the vacations funds, wait no longer! The Japan Tourism Agency is giving away 10,000 free round-trip tickets to the country in the next fiscal year as part of a campaign to stimilate touristism since the March 11 disasters.

This offer is only has one stipulaation: during or after their visits, the agency will ask the recipients to post on blogs or other online social media about their stay in Japan, hoping positive feedback will lure more visitors. Here is a link to more information about the offer.

From what I have read, the offer should be available sometime next April. More informations to come...

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Coastal Photography with the Manfroto Tripod



Hachinohe Coast: a Pine tree shaped by the ocean breezes.

Now that I am getting "serious" about photography, my husband surprised me with a Manfroto tripod! How lucky am I? And what a difference a sturdy tripod makes in the quality of your pictures.

I often shoot landscape photographs at or around sunset. These conditions sometime require a longer exposure. This is when the quality of your tripod can play a vital role in the outcome of your photograph. For instance, I was noticing that most of my photographs appeared to have a lot of "noise" in them. I checked and confirmed that my noise reduction option was set on my camera and made sure to correctly expose my photograph. No matter what I did as a precaution, my photos had a fuzzy or noisy look.

Hachinohe Moonrise - shot without the Manfroto tripod

 Luckily, I discovered the problem - my tripod was shifting slightly. I could literally see my subject drift slightly in the viewfinder after I released the shutter. Could the my tripod be the culprit?

Hachinohe Coast - Shot with the Manfroto Tripod

The lighting conditions are different in these photos, but the rocks are very indicative of the sharpness I was able to capture using the two different tripods using an aperature of f20.

 I am very satisfied with the Manfroto - I believe that the stability of the tripod improved my ability to capture low light landscape shots dramatically. I can see a marked improvement in the clarify of my photos and am very happy with my Manfroto tripod!

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Japanese Vending Machine on a train!

photo from japanstyle

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Full moon along the Hachinohe Coastline



Photo property of NewinNippon.



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Inspired by...Japanese Dress Patterns

This post is dedicated to all the crafters who are amazed, like I am, by the ingenuity of the Japanese pattern book! During my first visit to Japan I was pleased to discover Japanese craft books. Even though the books are typically not in English, they are beautifully illustrated and full of inspiring photographs. I am addicted to these books! When I visit a book store, I find myself heading straight to the crafting section and immediately dive into the crafty-goodness. These books are so inspiring that I feel like I am ready to create my own wardrobe and try out for Project Runway (of course, I'll wow the judges!) just as soon as I purchase this book! And attempt to translate the text into English!


So you can understand why I was thrilled to read the post at Sew Daily announcing the release of an English translation of I Am Cute Dresses, a book of 25 dress patterns by Sato Watanabe.


I am Cute Dresses Cover



I am Sassy Sundress

 This book is full of beautiful, yet simple to make dress patterns.    
Usually Japanese pattern book include all the pattern pieces in the back of the book. This book is different because you actually draft your own pattern so that each garment is custom fitted to your measurements. Each dress pattern is designed to be easy to sew with minimum tailoring required.


If you want like the simple aesthetic of Japanese sewing but are intimidated by the idea of drafting your own patterns, you might prefer Simple Modern Sewing: 8 Basic Patterns to Create 25 Favorite Garments by Shufu-to-Seikatsusha. This book is available for pre-order and should be released on 11/07/2011.


Simple Modern Sewing Cover

This book uses 8 different  pattern pieces that are mixed and matched to create 25 different garments. All of the pieces are including in the back of the book. This book, like I am Cute Dresses, is in English. Since I live in Japan it is pretty much impossible to find an English version of any craft books. I am still working my way through my first book of patterns and I have to admit that I was intimidated by a huge piece of paper that looked something like this...

 

Pattern Image for PurlBee.com

While searching online for advice, I found this wonderful tutorial at The Purl Bee. Things to keep in mind: You will need to trace your pattern into another piece of paper. Also, these pattern usually do not include a seem allowance, so you will need to add this to your draft. Japanese pattern tend to run small so you may want to make a muslin copy before you cut out the pattern using your best fabric.


Have you had any experience with Japanese patterns? How did you "make it work"?

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Destination - Meiji Shrine



Photo property of NewinNippon

Meiji Shrine (明治神宮, Meiji Jingū), located in Shibuya, Tokyo, is the Shinto shrine that is dedicated to the deified spirits of Emperor Meiji and his wife, Empress Shōken. When Emperor Meiji died in 1912 and Empress Shōken in 1914, the Japanese people wished to pay their respects to the two influential Japanese figures. It was for this reason that Meiji Shrine was constructed and their souls enshrined on November 1, 1920.

The original building was destroyed during the Tokyo air raids of World War II. The present iteration of the shrine was funded through a public fund raising effort and completed in October, 1958.
Meiji Shrine was brought into the flow of current events with the 2009 visit of United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. After arriving in Tokyo on her first foreign trip representing the newly elected President Barack Obama, she made her way to this shrine in advance of meetings with Japan's leaders to show her "respect toward history and the culture of Japan."  (Source: Wikipedia)

Photo property of NewinNippon

Meiji shrine is a popular destination for weddings. While we were there I observed three weddings and several other couples posing for photographs. Just like in the United States, April is a popular month for weddings.


Photo property of NewinNippon

In the gardens surrounding the shrine, there is a beautifully maintained traditional tea house. If you are interested in participating in a tea ceremony, this is a wonderful place to learn more about the tea ceremony and the meaning of the ritual.

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Japanese Design - Wabi-Sabi or Imperfect Beauty

What is Wabi Sabi? It is a mind-set that sees beauty in imperfection and in the asymmetry of nature. Wabi-Sabi accepts and celebrates the cycles of life from birth to death.  AWabi-Sabi mindset helps us embrace age and the passing of time as natural and not something to be feared or hidden. This idea ties into the concept of the tea ceremony marrying the bitterness of the matcha tea with the sweetness of the tea candy.

Wabi-Sabi is quiet beauty that waits to be observed. To develop a better feel for the concept, consider the meaning of the two words. Wabi is a form of the root word wa which describes harmony, peace, tranquility, and balance. Sabi describes the bloom of time. The bloom of time could be the patina of age that covers a beautiful antique object enhancing rather than destroying its individuality. Furthermore, consider the moment of clarity when you appreciate the shape of a flower petal or the bark of a tree that you have passed many times before without noticing.

Wabi-Sabi celebrates the minimal. There is an art to seeing the world in this manner. Glossy magazine ads with photoshop images of perfect often make one forget that the ideal is simply that - an ideal, not a reality. Having discovered this one key concept has helped me to better appreciate the Japanese aesthetic. When I observe interior spaces I see the concept in the rice paper walls, tatami mats, and the unfinished woods. In dress, I have noticed that many Japanese prefer muted colors such as greys or earth tones. Finally Japanese gardens are also an echo of Wabi-sabi in their carefully constrained asymmetry, you will never see the symmetry such as in a European style garden.

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Aomori Nebuta Festival 2011

One of the most exciting events of the summer festival season is the Aomori Nebuta festival.

Photo property of NewinNippon

"Recognized as one of Japan’s Three Big Fire Festivals, the Aomori Nebuta Festival is renowned internationally and is designated as a significant intangible folk cultural asset of Japan."

Photo property of NewinNippon

"During the festival, more than twenty large nebutas – large lantern floats decorated with human figures – are wheeled along the parade route in the city of Aomori. Ahead of each float, Nebuta dancers called haneto dance wildly to the hayashi music of the Nebuta Festival,making the summer night festival lively and exciting. The fantastic view of lantern-lit floats and the dancers’ shouts of “rasse rasse” are overwhelming. It certainly is a genuine fire festival of Japan."

Photo property of NewinNippon

"The story goes that the Aomori Nebuta Festival originates in the purification rite of toro-nagashi (the placement of lantern offerings on the water), performed during the Tanabata Festival (the Star Festival of July 7) at many places in Japan. Some documents describe the first Nebuta as a giant lantern 360 cm on each sides that was created in the Muromachi era by the feudal lord Tsugaru Tamenobu to surprise people in Kyoto during the Lantern Festival, an event to welcome the spirits of departed ancestors."

Photo property of NewinNippon

"During the festival, more than twenty large nebutas – large lantern floats decorated with human figures – are wheeled along the parade route in the city of Aomori. Ahead of each float, Nebuta dancers called haneto dance wildly to the hayashi music of the Nebuta Festival,making the summer night festival lively and exciting. The fantastic view of lantern-lit floats and the dancers’ shouts of “rasse rasse” are overwhelming. It certainly is a genuine fire festival of Japan.

Photo property of NewinNippon

"Candles for lighting lanterns were replaced by electricity, and wire is now used instead of bamboo for lantern frames.

Since 1980, when the Aomori Nebuta Festival was designated a significant intangible folk cultural asset of Japan, the event has been recognized around the world as characterizing Japanese festivals.

Nebuta attracted world attention in 2001 when the British Museum in London featured it in a special exhibition."

(Source: Aomori Nebuta Festival website)

Photo property of NewinNippon

The Aomori Nebuta Festival attracts as many as 3 million tourists a year."

Photo property of NewinNippon

Photo property of NewinNippon

Here are some interesting statistics from Apinet, the Aomori tourism website.

Size: A float is placed on a wheeled platform (approx. 2 meters high) with an overall size of 5 meters high, 9 meters wide, 7 meters deep and weighing 4 tons

Number of light bulbs used: 600-800

Time needed to make a float: Approximately 3 months

Haneto (dancers) participating for every one Nebuta float: Approx. 2,000

Click here to visit the official Aomori Nebuta website.

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Inspired by...Happy Tape!

Moving to Japan and consequently becoming a stay at home wife has allowed me a lot more free time to devote to crafts and hobbies. One craft item that originated in Japan and has certainly caught on worldwide is washi paper tape or "happy tape" and it is easy to see why! Happy tape is so versatile that there many possible applications for use ranging from stationary to home decor. I've collected a few of my favorite ideas from around the web to share with you.

Card Set by Omiyage


Bunting by Paperclip Design

Vase and matching table runner decor from Brides magazine



Happy Tape as a Wallpaper alternative by Sincol

If you aren't able to find happy tape at your local craft store or prefer to make your own custom version, please visit justsomethingimade for an easy tutorial that will teach you how to make your own happy tape! The very talented Cathe Holden, an accomplished graphic designer, has published a wonderful, easy to follow tutorial.

With Cathe's permission, I am sharing the link to her tutorial. I can't wait to make my custom paper tape! The images below are two variations that Cathe has created using her own technique.



If you search through your craft stash, you probably have everything you need to create your custome happy tape. Enjoy - and be sure to send me a picture of your happy tape. I would love to see your creative results!

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Sakura 2011

Photos property of NewinNippon

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Yabusame - Towada City Women's Horseback Archery Festival

Yabusame (流鏑馬) is a type of mounted archery in traditional Japanese archery. An archer on a running horse shoots three special "turnip-headed" arrows successively at three wooden targets. A red parasol is displayed if the rider hits the target with the arrow. Photos property of NewinNippon.


The history of Japanese horseback archery dates back to the 4th century, however, women mounted archers are a modern innovation.
Traditionally, women were barred from performing in yabusame, but in 1963 female archers participated in a yabusame demonstration for the first time. Every spring in Towada, women from around the area demonstrate their marksmanship while balancing on a galloping horse!





A yabusame archer gallops down a 255-meter-long track at high speed. The archer mainly uses the knees to control the horse and uses both hands to draw and shoot the bow.


Yabusame was designed as a way to please and entertain the myriad of gods that watch over Japan, thus encouraging their blessings for the prosperity of the land, the people, and the harvest.



An arrow finds it's mark!



A young archer in training.
This festival usually accurs in April at the beginning of cherry blossom season in Northern Japan.

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